Elysian Empyrean
by LittleSkyCompass
Summary: In which Skull could see the dead, and had to face all the insanity that came with it. Hiding his secret from the Arcobaleno would be the least of his problems. AU! Pairing being contemplated. Co-written with the lovely Shi Natoka-chan . Nah
1. Chapter 1

**_Rated T for cursing, and the dead. Chapter two should be posted in a week._**

 ** _This story is co-written with the lovely_ _Shi Natoka-chan . Nah_** ** _and just to clarify, I am apparently the story's mother and she is its father. We hope you all enjoy being able to see our lovely thought child._**

* * *

 _ **Chapter One**_

Sometimes, Skull found himself in the most peculiar of positions. Whether that was talking to the air animatedly - including the hand flares and shoulder shrugs that made him appear to be deep into a conversation - or staring at nothing with such solemn intensity it made people worry.

 _And disturbed, most likely._

The Arcobaleno knew he did so. They would even go as far as saying they were used to such mannerism being displayed by the energetic and Purple Cloud. Yes, they were used to the way Skull DeMort, whom could previously be completely engaged in a discussion with one of them, suddenly detaches himself from them.

They were used to his focus - his fixation - on nothing.

Or, at least, what they determined to be nothing.

Despite what they may have thought, and what Skull knew they thought him to be, he was by no means crazy. Well, not their assumed definition, at least. There were a multitude of way to apply the word crazy to a person's psyche and Skull was none of the ones he was under the scrutiny of being.

Sure he may seem a bit - absolutely - lunatic to those who didn't experience the things he did, or to those who couldn't see the things he did. More importantly, to those who couldn't dare to comprehend what he could. It was a rather… lonely existence in a way, but Skull never had time to dwell on that feeling when he was so very busy working.

Besides, he wasn't totally alone. There was the persistent company here and there- though, mostly in the form of a certain red octopus who couldn't seem to bear leaving him alone for more than twelve hours, no matter how many times the poor Cloud tried to get the bright-spirited Oodako to pass on.

Alas, the stubborn sea creature still refused him to that day.

He shivered as an ache settled into his bones, automatically peering down at his onyx boots towards Oodako who began to trek his way up Skull's pant leg. Picking up the ghostly apparition and settling him on his shoulder, Skull attempted to ignore the dull pain that throbbed in synchronization with his own heartbeat.

It was always painful to touch that which was dead and it never failed to spread a burning ache to his bones which would persist until he was no longer touching the thing that elicited the reaction.

Skull supposed it was such a shame that he was far too fond of cuddling all the dead animals and children he came across as a means to reassure them and help them move on. He would never regret it, however. Bringing solace to those no longer living was one of his jobs, after all.

A job he had before he'd met the Arcobaleno and became apart of the Tri-Ni-Set. It was a job he had since receiving his curse in the aftermath of being attacked by a demon as a young child, and it would be his job until he also parted. Though he admittedly expected that would be awhile.

Being doubly cursed was… troublesome. As an Arcobaleno, Kawahira had tied each of their life forces into the ley lines to maintain them, but they intersected- which ultimately meant that if one of them were to die, they would likely all would perish together. It wasn't the most pleasant of thoughts to contemplate but it really had a way of making them into a more functional team than they were before they were branded as the Arcobaleno.

Before the second curse, Skull never quite clicked with the elements - except Fon, because he was basically a saint and accepted his quirks, odd and all - and it was rather disharmonious for the longest of times. Then, they ended up with their body clocks frozen in time by Kawahira without so much as by your leave, - Douche - ending with all the individuals involved in the whole fiasco connected in a way they really never wished they were.

Thus, they quite regularly impeded on each others' lives. It was understandable, the Cloud knew, that they often checked on him in the interest of their own safety due to their understanding of him being their weakest link. He, however, never understood why this invited them all to come over to him, all at once, and basically make a vacation out of it.

Skull had a suspicion Reborn was behind all the team vacations that ended up being at Skulls. The Sun liked poking all his buttons, after all, and never bothered trying to be subtle about it either.

Either way, the Cloud steeled his resolve as he adjusted his coat, feeling his flames recognize those that were approaching. They always picked the worst times. Skull was being absolutely flooded with work requests and he'd rather keep the wool over his team's eyes for a little longer because opening up the can of "I can see dead people, so I work as a PI to help solve cases" worms was just not conforming to his schedule.

What with the major explosion that revelation would bring and all.

He twisted the knob of his front door with a sigh, and Fon dropped his raised fist from where it was positioned to knock on the wood as he waved them in all inside.

"Watch your steps, don't break anything!" he warned, shifting a few of his paranormal paraphernalia out of the way with his shoe.

"Your office is small, kora!" Colonello, the last one who trailed in, protested, almost bumping into the others as he looked around.

"I told you not to come here." Skull tried to discreetly shuffle the files and documents on his table. Did he close that tab about the necromancy, yet? It'd be suspicious to shut his laptop, now. Turning around to face the rest, he crossed his arms and glowered. "Can you go, now? Why are you even here, anyway?"

"A vacation, lackey. Be honored we came, even though your place is shitty."

Skull glowered even more at Reborn's smirk. Maybe he should sic Oodako on him. See how he would like that.

Just as he turned around to look at Oodako on his shoulder, he came face to face with a bloody face, grinning with teeth just as bloody from the concaved nose. Skull shrieked and tripped backward, hitting his temple on the table before crashing inelegantly to the floor.

Fon and Luce were the only ones who rushed to see his condition, soft-hearted as they were. Skull waved them away, laughing to hide his glower. He secretly glared at the Gil, the mafioso who died when he had slipped inside Skull's office, hitting the very same table he just scared Skull into. He never did forgive him for it.

And now, the jerk whirled around the room like a kid who overdosed on candy, cackling in an inhuman voice as he phased through every Arcobaleno in sight.

"W-why is your room so cold?" Viper shivered from the corner, holding a hand over her mouth to hide her stutter. Her cloak didn't help with the chilly apparition, apparently. "You don't even have an air conditioner."

Skull leaped up from the floor with another nervous laugh. So many questions, so little answers. "We don't get much sun here," he lied bluntly, ignoring the bright yellow glows that shone through the window blinds. Rubbing his aching head, he nudged and shoved his way through his unwelcome visitors. Good thing Colonello hadn't closed the front door behind him. Some nosy poltergeist might "accidentally" lock it shut. He announced loudly so everyone could hear, "You guys can spend your vacations inside my office if you want! I'm leaving!"

Skull was pretty proud of himself when everyone trickled out to follow him. He left the office building and looked around the neighborhood with a sigh.

"It's a bad time to come here," he talked, mostly to himself. It was October, the month of Halloween. The line that separated the realms were thinner, then, with its peak at Halloween itself. He strolled down the street and tried to ignore the walking dead surrounding them. Still, he was the only one who jumped when a row of heads cackled from inside a doll shop, like a twisted joke from hell.

"Are you okay, Skull? You look really pale," Luce peered at his face. Skull squirmed and tried to look neutral.

Luckily, Reborn's interference saved him, for once. "You're one to talk, Luce."

At that, Skull finally gave his friend a proper look. Reborn wasn't wrong. Luce was pale, but not only that, her life energy was flickering unnaturally, and the cursed tattoo on her cheek appeared dimmer than before. It always did, though, since the day she was cursed, so Skull couldn't be sure whether it was the cause or not.

He reached out to his bonds, gently checking them over with a worried frown when nothing conclusive showed in regards to Luce's condition. Oodako had wandered off his shoulder by now, attached to the window of a shop by his side, glaring menacingly towards all the unnatural forces that seemed to focus on his person.

Without the familiar chill of the octopus clinging onto him, it was much easier to tell that something was wrong with the Sky of their group. The worried, tense air around those who had accompanied her here further proved that suspicion to be true, and with the way Reborn seemed to hover-

His eyes glowed slightly - the same purple as always, but eerily bright even under the unforgiving sun - as he took a look closer to her life force in a way none of the others could. Like a candle, it flicked violently as if a heavy wind had continuously assaulted it. Around Luce's presence lingered a cool energy Skull only associated with those who were dead, and quite a few elderly who were dying.

He, however, could not find the reason, and instead had to tear his eyes away from the Sky when it became glaringly obvious that he had "spaced out" again and the others were trying to gather his attention.

Skull laughed nervously, not moving when Oodako began to crawl up him again. He planned quickly, opening his mouth to speak. "I'm sure she'll feel better once she's eaten something. It was a long trip here, after all, Senpai. I'll treat you all to lunch this once and Luce will feel better afterward."

His tone attempted to sound reassuring, but even as he began to wander away, he knew there wasn't anything he could do to reverse the effects of her condition.

Luce was already half dead. And necromancy was not something Skull exceeded in.

A grimace pulled his lips taunt when he was sure the others couldn't see, going over all knowledge in his mind on what to do- how to inform them. If Luce were to die, wouldn't they all die? That was how the system worked.

 _How ironic it wouldn't be the "lackey" that ended them all._

He bit his tongue, ignoring the taste of iron and the concerned prodding of the red octopus upon his shoulder, leading his fellow Arcobaleno into a small restaurant.

Zoned out as he was, the others paid him no mind when ordering. Skull always did this, after all. Detached himself from the group as if they weren't there. That characteristic along with his need to constantly achieve a sense of freedom was really the only indication to them he was a Cloud. So, they left him be to act as he was.

He'd snap out of it soon. He always did.

 _And he did_.

Admittedly, not in the way anyone had suspected.

"DeMort. I have a case for you."

Violet eyes blinked into focus, turning to a woman in her mid-thirties as she slammed a file onto the table where all the cursed elements were seated at, successfully garnering the attention of them all.

She smirked challengingly when several displayed irritated - if not downright murderous - glares.

Skull groaned, a pitiful and suffering sound at the back of his throat.

" _Daniela, why?"_

 _This_ was why he looked up all the necromancy stuff earlier. Someone-he didn't know who, but he strongly, _strongly_ suspected Timoteo, her son- had resurrected Daniela, the only female boss of Vongola, whose name was known throughout Italy once upon a time.

Fortunately, she looked young enough now that none of the Arcobaleno immediately recognized who she was. Before any of them-especially Reborn or Viper who worked closely with that family-realized, Skull had jumped out of his seat. He grabbed the file with one hand and her arm with another, begging her to follow him away from the public.

"Go on and order! I'll be back soon!" he threw over his shoulder. "Oh, but don't order too much or I won't pay!" he added, despite knowing the futility of it. At least, that should distract them for a bit.

Going around a corner that led closer to the kitchen, he stopped and flipped quickly through the files. Ugh, paperwork. And nasty photographs.

"This is about last time? I told you I don't know anything about it. I'm not taking the case," he grumbled, squinting down at the text without bothering to read it. The photos attached there were still the same as last time, anyway.

"Someone was killing my grandsons, kid. I'm not taking no for an answer."

Skull flinched. Daniela was radiating killing intent, and it was all the more scary considering she had already died, once.

"Vongola has one heir left, but it's fortunate that he's still too young to be recruited. I want this manhunt to stop, DeMort, before someone finds him and decides to off him, too."

Skull mourned his fate inside his head. "Using children against me is freaking unfair." He huffed and gave up. "Fine, so you want me to locate their spirits and learn what happened, right? I warn you, now, they might not even be around, anymore. Not everyone becomes a ghost when they die."

"That is sufficient." Daniela nodded, satisfied with his answer. Before she left, she just had to bid him goodbye with a chilling smile. "Don't fail, Skull, or I'll drag you back to hell with me."

 _Scary lady._

Holding back a shiver, Skull shoved the file under his jacket and rushed back to join the irritated Arcobalenos at their table.

* * *

 _ **So, tell us what you all thought! Reviews are like food, and we must feed our child so that it may grow into a healthy and beautiful adult.**_

 _ **\- LittleSkyCompass and**_ ** _Shi Natoka-chan . Nah_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Rated T for cursing, and the dead! Thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter! We decided to post this early~_**

 ** _A very important reminder: This story is co-written with the lovely_ _Shi Natoka-chan . Nah_**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Two**_

It was no surprise to Skull that by the time they had all finished their meals, an irritated twitch had presented itself upon his right eye at the constant prodding the other Arcobaleno subjected him to. Especially after Fon casually remarked he felt Sky flames in Daniela.

 _That. Traitor._

And Skull once believed he could trust the well-tempered Storm. It was not to be, however, and the Chinese man easily threw him into the fire and dumped gasoline upon his poor poor- a whack to the face by the ever-present Oodako reminded him of his current situation and he gathered his grip on reality just long enough to make it back to his office - with the unwanted entourage - to continue ignoring them there.

They weren't getting anything out of him. Especially Reborn and Viper.

Heaven only knows how he'd explain that their dear old friend and boss, Vongola Octavia, was alive and breathing- and looking younger than many of them ever remembered seeing her look. Besides, he was sure - nearly positive! - that Reborn would ignore the fact that killing him would kill all of them and go along with it anyways. He was violent like that.

Stepping through the threshold of his door, he casually slid past the lingering spirit who haunted his abode and headed straight for his small bedroom where he then proceeded to lock the door behind him for the few seconds of silence it guaranteed him. Until Colonello kicked the door in, that is.

Exasperated and completely done with them entirely, the purple haired Cloud threw his hands up in a fit of rage. "This is why I can't have nice things!"

A small plop on the ground turned him and the attention of the others towards his feet. There, resting precariously open was the file Daniela had given him, a small photograph of a boy with a shy smile and wild hair circled with the words Ancora Vivo covering up the other photographs of what Skull knew to be the previous Vongola heirs.

 _Ancora Vivo._

 _Still Alive._

Daniela was a sly woman, putting the living heirs' photograph amongst there to use as a motivational factor. After all, how could Skull ignore such a small child?

Ah! That wasn't what he should be thinking about right now! He scrambled to gather the files up, but his momentary distraction has costed him. Colonello, at the forefront of the Arcobaleno train, got there before him, bending up to pick the file before him.

"What's this? A kid?"

Skull almost tackled him by how fast he moved. He grabbed the file from Colonello's hand and yanked-

-And almost tripped backward because Colonello actually refused to let his work go. Skull hated how weak he was compared to them sometimes.

"Give it back, you stupid, idiotic, fool!" He cursed, lamely, out of panic. He tried to yank his secret again, but Colonello held on steadfastly.

"Stop being stubborn, kora! You've been off the whole day, Skull! At least let us help with your job, damnit!"

Colonello's offer would be touching at another time when Skull's social grace and freedom to live outside an asylum wasn't the one at risk.

"No need!" Skull yelled, tugging harshly on the papers. "Just give it ba- HIIIIII!"

A bullet, almost faster than light, cut between them, almost hitting their hands point blank. Skull wasn't the only one who tumbled back from it. Even Colonello leaped away, the surprise causing him to let the files go until it dropped again on the floor.

Reborn stepped up like an avenging angel, his face dark and shaded by menacing shadow from his fedora. Hell, even Leon was glaring at Skull from his shoulder.

"Is _that-_ " Reborn's fancy toed shoe kicked the file and made a mess of it, scattering photographs and papers full of suspicious information between them. Reborn sounded angry enough for murder, free of charge. "-A fucking _Vongola's hit list_?"

Nobody moved to save Skull from the gun pointed at his head.

The Cloud became deadly still, understanding that for once, Reborn wasn't playing. That any screw up he made would end up with his blood on his very own hardwood flooring and without any remorse from the man going to shoot him.

He sucked in a breath, finding that particular action harder to accomplish than necessary. "I can explain."

The safety clicked off the gun once more, the noise deafening in the silent room where everyone was too tense to utter a sound.

" _You'd better start. Now."_

Skull launched into his explanation, not letting the trigger-happy Sun have a chance to change his mind. "It's not a hit list, first of all. It's research. I've specifically been asked to look into the death's of the previous Vongola heirs, and ensure the safety of their last who is far too young to take over. I didn't even want to take the case, but my employer was incredibly stubborn and I know she has the interest of Vongola at heart. She'd never harm that famiglia."

Reborn and the others looked at him dubiously, and a slender finger inched closer to the trigger. "Why wouldn't they hire someone more component, idiota? Your story has too many flaws."

Skull's expression crumpled in a semblance of remorseful despair. He didn't want to tell the Arcobaleno the reason behind his eccentric ways. Would they detest his abilities? Would they be revolted by the fact that he was so different to them? Or even if, by some chance, they accepted what was out there, could they stomach the fact that they had been lied to for years by the person they least expected to lie to them?

If they weren't resentful, Skull was going to eat Reborn's fedora and then drown himself before the hitman could invoke retaliation.

"They needed me… specifically."

Maybe it was the tone of his voice or the kicked puppy look he gave them that made them all a little less stiff, but it was something- Reborn lowered his gun in contemplation, his gaze still laced with suspicion but not focused entirely on him as the others took this at the cue to move around.

He was sat down by someone - the smell of oranges and mist immediately recognizing Luce - and he sunk into the bed, boneless after all the tension fled from his body. A hand smoothed out his hair and he sat there for one stunned moment before he realized he was being babied by the Sky.

 _Did he really look that bad?_

"Someone is obviously using Skull, but who?" Verde interrupted his thoughts and the Cloud blinked at the assured accusation within his words. What? Excuse him, but he was not being used. "They specifically need him, the strongest Cloud, for something." Skull could nearly hear the cogs turning in the scientist's analytical mind.

Reborn scowled and tipped his fedora up so his glare was on full display as one foot tapped an agitated rhythm onto the floor. "Could it be someone after us all and manipulating the lackey? If they get him to make Vongola angry enough, they'd kill him, consequences of the Arcobaleno be damned. Especially if he were framed for murdering their heirs."

"Would they really risk that, Kora?"

"Muu," Viper interrupted. "I knew we should have kept a closer look on Skull. He's too vulnerable to these ploys."

 _Ploys? Vulnerable? What-_

"Will you guys stop assuming things!" He rose to his feet in a hurry, hands over his hips and an angry frown on his face as everyone's attention turned to him. Oodako uncurled from around his neck, having previously been grasping it harshly in his surprise from the outburst. Skull refused to wince, even if he was sure his friend just managed to bruise him. "I was hired by someone in Vongola!"

 _Technically._

"Oh?" The dark hum pierced the air and Reborn looked two seconds away from making sure Skull could never draw another breath for his interruption. "Who in Vongola has the audacity to target us?"

Skull blinked in disbelief, taking the moment of silence allowed to stare incredulously at them all. Self-centered! They were all so self-centered! "Will you get over yourselves?! This isn't about us!"

Colonello huffed. "You have some nerve, kora, considering you're the one who got us into this mess."

"There isn't a mess!" He defended, quickly becoming tired of the banter. "Just let me do my job and stay out of it! There's no hitlist involved and I'm- excuse me, I mean WE'RE not getting framed for anything!"

Cold metal on skin cooled his temper abruptly, and Skull took a shuddering breath. Reborn kept the gun neatly poised above his brow, a taunting smirk stretching his lips as the smell of espresso and gunpowder came too close to comfort. Skull would never forgive Reborn for ruining coffee for him. He still couldn't believe that coffee could be ruined for anyone.

The smell of coffee was no longer a pleasurable thing, it was now just a scent he associated with fear.

Then again, maybe Skull could believe Reborn could ruin coffee for a person. He was an asshole, but a very capable one.

"I want a name." The voice was hostile, a threat clearly hanging in the air.

When Reborn was truly angry, his tone of voice never failed to make the Cloud feel inferior, and he couldn't help but stutter out what he knew they'd discover eventually. "D-Daniela."

"We heard how you referred her during dinner. But, there is no Daniela inside Vongola." Viper's voice is almost a wisp, tight around Skull's throat like a noose.

Reborn's stepped even closer into his personal space, pressing the pistol harder against his head. The deadly metal probably left an indent that would last for days on his skin.

"Real name," Reborn growled, repeating his demand.

Skull was desperate. He didn't even dare to move since it might agitate everyone even further.

"I'm not lying!" Skull would never admit that he whimpered when the killer intent grew worse inside the room. Even Luce's comforting hand on his back couldn't help anymore. Clearly, nobody believed him, as always. "W-what if I tell her to contact you herself? You'd believe me, then!"

Sure, Daniela might kill him for dumping the entire Arcobaleno on her, but at least, he'd live a few hours longer than this. She scared him less than Reborn, anyway. Who knows, maybe they'd intimidate each other enough to forgot about him completely. He sure could hope.

"To share our personal information with a hostile subject? You have been corrupted worse than I thought," Verde muttered his objection, dashing Skull's hope just as it started to bloom. His green eyes narrowed on Reborn, almost taunting. "Just shoot him already, Reborn. Take out an arm or a leg. We'll clean up his mess while he recuperates."

Skull's heart stopped when he saw Reborn smirked. The gun left his forehead, tilting smoothly towards his feet.

The following gunshot was deafening.

Skull swore he felt it, the bullet piercing through his skin, shattering his bones, burning him with unbelievable pain . . . until his legs collapsed, weak from the shock. He sat on the floor, staring blankly at his intact limbs, trembling next to the shattered floor where the bullet actually hit.

Reborn crouched close and tilted Skull's chin up using the barrel of his gun until they could only look at each other eyes to eyes. His voice was unaffected, even amused, when he said, "Tell her to contact me, or next time, I won't miss."

No. Reborn . . . he never missed. He knew exactly what he was doing and Skull . . . he would never be able to escape it.

Still, he ignored the tears gathering in his eyes and refused to cry. "I can do you one better. I'll get her to come here… I needed to talk to her about the case anyways. This way you'll see I'm not lying."

 _This way, you'll regret not believing._

* * *

 ** _Ah, hopefully, you all enjoyed this chapter! Please tell us what you thought! Ely survives and grows with feedback from you all~_**

 ** _\- LittleSkyCompass and Shi Natoka-chan . Nah_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Rated T for cursing, and the dead! Thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter! Everyone's support is amazing!_**

 ** _A very important reminder: This story is co-written with the lovely Shi Natoka-chan . Nah and I love her very much! She's a treasure to work with!_**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Three**_

Skull wasn't a coward. He just had a strong sense for self-preservation. He'd preferred to stay away from people who could bite his head off. That was the reason why he stalled calling Daniela.

He was debating whether to tell her the truth or not while pretending to do menial tasks. First, he sorted the files which had scattered, acting like her business card was in there somewhere. When he couldn't find it, he rummaged through his desk in the main office. All the while, he fervently ignored Reborn's glare, which he could feel even with his back turned to the man.

The rest of the Arcobaleno made themselves comfortable inside his small abode. That part was kind of a relief, because it gave him more time by preparing a cozy spot for them, like the couch, or the bed-far away from his unnatural artifacts. The only one he didn't dare to approach was Reborn, who just followed him with those black eyes as he leaned-looking annoyingly cool-against the wall.

It was when he had run out of excuses and Reborn started making this tiny growling noise that Skull finally resigned himself. He acted as if he had just found Daniela's card which accidentally fell on the floor. He leaped up with a triumphant "Aha!", holding it up with a fake grin.

Everyone turned to look at him. He shook so much under the scrutiny that he punched the wrong numbers in three times before he actually could hit the call button. Because he didn't want to be accused of lying, he turned the speaker on and waited tersely as the dial tone rang on . . . and on . . . and on . . .

Skull was sweating the longer time passed. He laughed awkwardly, not meeting anyone's face as he explained, "She's a bit old fashion. She probably forgot her phone somewhere, or forgot to charge it, or forgot how to answer a call . . ." oh, wouldn't that be a blessing.

Unfortunately for Skull, after a couple of minutes, probably a tone away from a disconnected line, the phone clicked in an answer.

For eight seconds-he counted-there was silence, before Daniela's voice came through, a little slow as if she was guessing her words. ". . . DeMort?"

"Y-yeah, ehem," Skull cleared his throat to prevent more stutters. He launched immediately into the line that he had rehearsed. "I got new leads on the case. Well, not leads, but . . . helping hands? I mean, there are um, my… _friends_ , who want to-"

" _You leaked the case?"_

Daniela's voice was almost as chilling as Reborn's earlier contempt. Luckily, she couldn't hurt him through a phone.

"No!" Still, he rushed to defend himself. "I mean, there was an ac- a _need_ for them! I need help! This is a big case, right? They'll be incredible assets, I swear! You should come here and meet them yourself! We're waiting in my office! See you later!"

Without waiting for her answers, he cut the call short. Finally, he could breathe again.

"Why didn't you tell her who we are?" Fon's voice robbed him of that peace immediately. "I'm sure she would be much more cooperative to work with us Arcobalenos."

Skull scrambled for answers, but the first thing he could latch on was, "I wanted to surprise her?"

Nobody would believe that, but he didn't want her to slip and revealed the truth about knowing Reborn and maybe Viper through the phone. Skull couldn't bear that interrogation alone. He'd rather have her there to face the storm, too.

What he could never expect, of course, was the consequences of withholding that information. It was worse than the storm.

She barged into his office like a hurricane fifteen minutes later, trailed by her son, the Vongola Ninth, and the head of CEDEF-whose kid might be at risk if Skull failed this mission. She brought their guardians and subordinates along with them, all armed, all angry, and ready to kill.

Skull could be forgiven for being overwhelmed with a horrendous sense of claustrophobia. He was a _Cloud_ , and so many people were being packed into his office- more than the tiny space could rightly handle. His breath shortened, hit with the killing intent a second too late to hide when Daniela's eyes easily gazed into his first.

Olive green with a furious hint of potent orange scalding into terrified violet hues.

" _You leaked the case?!"_

 _Damn_ courage - Skull bolted behind Reborn on pure instinct. "It's not that bad! At least you know them all!"

The groups were at a standstill from the very start, each poised in ways that were most efficient towards the end of the others. Nono was a surprise for the Arcobaleno to see, yes, but his mother was a completely uncalculated scenario that had just _appeared_. They didn't know what to do, not even having eased out of their positions when Timoteo relaxed his subordinates and guardians that had followed him there.

There was no threat.

Just the… enigma currently trying to roast their Lackey based of looks alone.

"Signora Daniela?" It's Reborn who broke the silence first, ignoring the fact he was being used as a meat shield wholeheartedly. His tone _wasn't_ vulnerable. Never vulnerable- but there was an element of surprise in his carefully guarded expression that nearly had the hitman scowling. That was an opening. Surprise could be _exploited._

Colonello groaned in the back, finally lowering the gun he had carefully aimed towards a man's eye socket. "With all due respect, kora, what the actual _fuck_ is going on?!"

Skull really couldn't help the nervous laugh that escaped his throat. "I told you, didn't I? No one listened, but I told you."

Yet, it's almost like his minor attempt to vilify himself went unseen and unheard because everyone was too focused on each other. Even Colonello, who called out for an answer, went wide-eyed and tongue-tied when he saw who stepped out behind Sawada Iemitsu.

"L... LAL?! What are you doing here?"

Even Skull could see the embarrassing crush Colonello was nursing for her. It was as if he couldn't look away anymore, despite being surrounded by some of the deadliest people in the world. If only everyone would do the same.

Skull cursed himself for choosing Reborn as his hiding place because Daniela was moving towards them, eyes glaring holes into Skull before sliding to meet Reborn's as she halted a step away.

"Renato Sinclair? It has been a while. I suppose the rumors hold some truth to them." She observed him from his hat to the tip of his shoes, cataloging everything with a single glance. "The Arcobaleno are truly blessed by eternal youth. You haven't changed at all."

Reborn's smile was twisted. It looked genuine-hell, maybe it was actually genuine-yet it was filled with enough bitterness that Skull froze instead of running away when he saw it.

Still, Reborn bowed down like a gentleman. He lifted Daniela's hand to kiss the air above her knuckles. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Donna. You have become far more beautiful since we last met. I almost didn't recognize you."

Watching so closely to them, Skull wanted to scream. Why were they acting so polite and so formal when the giant pink elephant was still sitting inside the room?! He wanted them to get over it already so they could talk about business! His heart couldn't bear this much tension!

"It would appear your screw up is not entirely terrible, Skull," Daniela voiced, though an irritated glance was still thrown his way when Reborn moved off to the side to expose him to the ex-Donna's fury. "That may just be your saving grace. Consider yourself lucky today- you are correct. We could use their help."

Viper, having previously been stunned into silence by surprise - and eyeing the other Mist in the room shadily much to his displeasure, because they didn't like other Mist's around them, darn it - finally made a sound. "Muu, what help?"

Suspicious saturated the very words the flame user spoke, and it did nothing to ease the edge on the other Arcobaleno.

"What I really wish to know," Verde narrowed his eyes, "Is why only Skull was aware of… _this_ situation. Out of all the accomplished people in the room that could have been of use, you chose the Cloud. Why?"

Skull might have been offended any other day, but currently he just really wanted this to be done with so they could get to work.

A sly gaze shifted to face the person of interest, and Nono ended up actually laughing when no one on the Arcobaleno's side seemed to be able to answer. "You're all telling me you don't know what that Cloud of yours is capable of?"

DeMort shivered at the look, ignoring the curious peering of the others to curl his flames inward and _away_ from the current Vongola boss'. Necromancy, even the minimal amount done, had warped his Sky into something suffocating and dark. Perhaps the only reason the Nono was still relatively okay was because Daniela's soul was already easily accessible through their heirloom, the Vongola Sky ring.

At least this confirmed it. His theory that it was her son that brought her back was certainly correct.

The situation progressed the moment Reborn decided that he had enough, taking the quest to find the answers into his own hands when Luce and Fon's gently inquiries didn't even seem to be heard by Skull who was in a world of his own. "What secret does the lackey have?"

Though the question seemed to be answerable by everyone, the Sun specifically directed it towards Skull.

The purplette blinked into focus and registered the words carefully before he grimaced in dismay. He didn't want to tell them. He spent so long not telling them that the thought of even mentioning what he could do made him feel physically sick.

"I…" He began hesitantly, halfway wishing his annoying office haunting spectator would come and bludgeon his head in with a pan. Or Reborn's. That would be lovely too. It was too bad the ghost seemed to be hiding away.

"You." Fon encouraged as he attempted to give a reassuring smile. "Go on."

"I can't…" Skull sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't say it."

Before Reborn could do something like shooting him, Daniela swiftly stepped in. "If he is unwilling to speak of it, I'll do it." She took a second to receive Skull's reluctant nod for her to continue. "We enlisted his help for one very special reason and that particular reason is that Skull can see and speak to the dead."

Verde smiled sharply, pearly white teeth peeking out as he displayed an unimpressed grin for all to witness. "The _real_ reason?"

Skull huffed in frustration, a feeling igniting in him that almost made him throw Oodako towards the skeptical scientist. _Of course_ , they didn't believe it. Not even when the words were spoken to them by a very much dead Donna who appeared ages younger than when she perished. They really needed to work on getting over themselves.

Skull knew for a fact that they could at least entertain the notion of an afterlife due to the fact they could all physically use attributes of their own souls - their very flames - but it was the fact that they would _never,_ in a million years, admit to anyone - including themselves! - that their useless and defenseless lackey had kept a secret from them for years.

It was Luce who stepped up and proved him wrong.

"I know we didn't ever consider Skull being able to keep a secret," she frowned. "I never suspected it myself, but it is believable to a degree. I've never been able to… see him clearly. I'm unable to predict his actions. I always thought it because there was nothing of significance to focus on like most of my visions but Skull has always been a cloudy spot."

Luce carried on, unaware of the pun she had unintentionally delivered, leaving the actual Cloud of the topic to lean wearily into the wall and wonder if he had any strong alcohol in the kitchen. He wasn't entirely sure if Luce was making the situation worse or helping him.

He duly decided he could care less and closed his eyes to fight off a headache that was beginning to assault him from behind his eyes.

"- kora!"

"Skull?"

"Lackey!"

The biker face-planted when he was pushed harshly onto the ground, shooting up moments later with a bewildered expression on his face and bruised nose cradled in one hand. His teary and surprised eyes spotted the culprit and narrowed. "Senpai! Why?"

Renato Sinclair was the absolute image of innocence, standing far out of arms reach for extra measure. "I don't know what you're talking about. You spaced out. Colonello wanted to ask you something."

Skull did not imagine the wicked gleam in those soulless eyes as everyone faced the hitman with incredulous expressions. Reborn was anything but innocent. Abusive bastardo.

"U-uh, yeah, kora…" Colonello continued awkwardly once he managed to peel his gaze away from the sadistic Sun. "I asked you to prove yourself, kora! Prove that you can see the dead!"

"And speak to them," Fon gently interjected.

"What, you want me to tell you how many ghosts are haunting you, right now?! Do you want me to describe how you kill those poor sods again? Or maybe you'd hope to hear from the ghost of your dead families? From your past friends who got killed because they tangled with you lot?!" Once Skull was going, he couldn't stop. He went through such a rollercoaster of emotions in such a short time that he finally broke.

He was heaving, each breath tasted like the blood inside his nose, ears ringing by pure frustration. He had tried so hard not to cry, but he had worn himself out in the face of their distrust. He had no energy left to stop the tears.

Most of the things he felt were anger. He would never, in a million years, admitted to the pain that squeezed his heart, especially not when all he received were those pitiful looks and guilty profiles from the ones who turned away.

"Have you lost your faith in me, Renato . . . no, Reborn?" Daniela spoke up, thankfully drawing attention away from Skull. He wanted to be grateful, but it was so hard when she was one of them who caused this mess. Much more so when she said things like, "We don't have time to doubt DeMort's skill. You may proceed with the interrogation after we conclude our business."

Reborn was silent for a while, his narrowed eyes lingering on Skull for another moment before he turned to face her. Unlike their prior interactions, his guard was fully up, this time, showing no unwanted emotion on his face. "My apologies... _Daniela_. I no longer work for the Vongola, nor to any other Famiglia. All I owe to yours is a favor to Timoteo." He gave the man a brief acknowledging glance. "If we are to speak of faith, you should offer us the courtesy to the same gesture. Send your men home. Let us who are involved to speak of this matter in private."

"I am staying!" Iemitsu, the fool, exclaimed the moment Reborn sent his ultimatum. Maybe it was out of sheer bullheadedness, but he didn't budge under the glares he got. "If my Little Tuna is at risk, I'm not going anywhere!"

Nougat, the Ninth's right-hand man held a quiet discussion with Timoteo. But, in the end, it was Daniela who currently holds the power over her family.

"Get a move on, you lot! Give us some space!" Daniela barked, looking slightly pissed, probably at Reborn's daring attitude. She sent the men scattering with one look until only the ninth, Iemitsu, and Lal remained in the room. "Timmy, come here. And Sawada . . . _don't get in the way_."

With that she turned back towards Skull, dismissing Reborn in exchange for the previous slight. The fire returned inside her eyes once more, cloudier than Skull's own cloud flame. When she spoke, her voice almost echoed.

 _ **"Shall we begin?"**_

* * *

 _ **Reviews feed this child, so consider letting us know what you thought of this chapter!**_

 _ **\- LittleSkyCompass and Shi Natoka-chan . Nah**_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Rated T: For Reborn, the deceased, and poor mafioso Gil. Rest in Peace, Gil._**

 ** _Co-writer: The one and only, Shi Natoka-chan . Nah (She is fantastic, go stalk her.)_**

 ** _Thank you all so much for your amazing support so far! I try to PM everyone I can to respond to the reviews, so I hope you all received them if you were able!_**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Four**_

Skull took a moment to breathe as the words washed over them all. Expectant eyes turned to him, waiting and assessing his figure for clues as to what he was about to do in order for them to _see._

He pushed off of the wall and paused. There was really only one thing he could do in this situation, wasn't there? Without seeing what he could, they would never fully trust his talent. He knew they would be receptive to the method he had in mind- they were connected to _him,_ after all, but it didn't help him stop the anticipation and anxiety forming inside of him that told him that everything would go dreadfully wrong. That even if they _understood,_ they could never _accept._

Bypassing Daniela completely, he left them and walked sullenly to his room where he began to dislodge a couple floorboards to grab the items he required. He stopped, considering the CEDEF head. While both Vongola heads were already experienced in supernatural elements, he got no such feeling from the 'Vongola Lion'. Just in case, he grabbed nine candles, deciding to include Sawada and Lal in the ritual.

He lastly grabbed an ornately decorated box, filled to the brim with dried rose petals.

"This should last three days at the very least," he informed them as he stepped back into the living area where the group was located. His tears had long since stopped, but a stuffy sniffle escaped him. "Depending on how receptive you are to it, it can last over a week."

"What is 'this' exactly?" Verde asked, ever the scientist.

Daniela nodded in approval at the load in his arms and moved to help him set it up after shoving people none too gently into a circle. "It's a ritual, now shut up. DeMort has to concentrate. So many people aren't supposed to be doing this at once but he's going to have to make it work."

Puzzled gazes stared toward their feet where green candles stood innocently on the hardwood, one in front of each of those in the circle. Skull scattered the dead petals in the clear spaces, vehemently ignoring the incredulous and disbelieving looks he was receiving.

His only reprieve came from the small octopus that made it a mission to reassure the downtrodden Cloud.

When he had completed his preparations, he leaned down to swiftly pick his candle up, lighting it with vivid purple flames that danced in an effort to escape the wick. A spine-tingling shiver trailed down everyone's backs as an eerie breeze swept through the room out of nowhere and the sunlight filtering through Skull's curtains dimmed.

He glanced to his left, gazing intently at Fon.

It took two seconds for the Storm to understand his intentions, but the Chinese man caught on quickly and repeated the same actions Skull had previously done himself, only to nearly drop the candle as his body shuddered at the shift of… something.

Fon took a deep breath and turned to Skull, but the Cloud was already staring at the person next to the Storm, which prompted Luce to repeat everything as they did too. It continued like that until all of them held burning candles, and Skull suddenly blew his out.

Without blowing out their own, the flames flickered and died abruptly, leaving them all in darkness as the petals climbed up legs.

Skull shot out his hand to grab Reborn's arm when it twitched to his right, keeping it firmly in place. " _Don't move yet."_

The Sun didn't struggle, but Skull held no delusions that he wasn't furious at him for preventing him from drawing his gun.

"I know-" his voice, even when laced with exhausted undertones, eased the tension of many who found themselves frozen in the darkness. "- This is startling, but in a few moments this should be over and you'll be able to see as I can. You can't _touch_ them, and for that, you should be thankful, but your senses will be much more honed towards anything unnatural."

"Lackey, you better not be pulling our-"

"I'm not tricking you!"

The argument that was starting abruptly cut off as Viper took in a sharp breath. "... muu, what is that?"

"What's what, kora?" Colonello obnoxiously shouted, shuffling around only to be snapped at to stand still by an irritated Daniela.

"That!" The Mist inclined their head. "On Skull's shoulder!"

The Cloud glanced at Oodako's glowing form, unconcerned as everyone began to adjust to his presence. "That's Oodako. He's an octopus."

"... what?"

"I think you broke Verde," Fon remarked helpfully.

"I'm not broken. Let me see-" Verde tried to move out of the circle. Skull was too far to stop him.

"Wait, Verde." Luckily, Luce was as reliable as always and caught him before he left. "Let's wait until the ritual is complete. We don't know what might happen if we mess it up."

Her words should be a relief, but Skull felt cold when he looked at her. He thought his power was used up to maintain the circle and delivering the flames for the ritual, but Luce's life force looked worse than his. It was barely a wisp amongst the numbing energy of the dead that surrounded her. The price, which were their individual soul flames, was clearly too high for her condition.

Unfortunately, he was the only one who could see it. The ceremony he chose only gave the Arcobaleno enough power to see the dead, not to see life forces, too. The only sign that anything was off was her tattoo, nearly translucent against her cheek. Amongst the newfound revelation, nobody else seemed to notice that, either.

Skull didn't want to dawdle anymore. He couldn't let her remain in the circle for too long, in case it would accidentally get triggered once more. The flower petals that climbed up their targets' legs had crawled over their heads, now. Soon enough, It dissipated in thin air, leaving ashes like powders to float down and sink into everyone.

The ritual was complete.

Skull moved counter-clockwise, plucking each candle out of its user's hands, locking them into the empty box. He sighed, "Okay, you guys can move, now."

He expected questions and interrogations. He expected Verde to jump Oodako. He even expected Luce to collapse. But none of those happened. Instead, Reborn whipped out his gun and fired, causing everyone-Skull, mostly-to duck with a shriek.

Somehow, though, rare as it was, Skull wasn't Reborn's target this time. The bullet struck the door jamb that led towards his bedroom, shattering woods onto the floor.

"You got some nerve to watch us this whole time. Come out here," Reborn threatened, gun still poised to shoot another round if his command was ignored.

Skull freaked out for a moment, thinking that an enemy was spying on them. But then, he heard a familiar voice and slumped in relief. He watched in confusion as Gil, the mafioso who accidentally died in his office, materialized into view with a loud whimper.

Skull tried to read Reborn's emotion, partly hidden by the shadow that his fedora cast over his eyes. He failed, like always, but whatever was there made Gil drop down to the floor, bowing deeply like Reborn was some kind of deity. He sounded terrified when he begged for Reborn to, "Please don't hurt me! I have kids and children back home! I won't commit crimes, again, I swear! Don't hurt me, please!"

"You're dead." Skull stared at him, weirded out by the ghost's unnatural reaction. "He can't even touch you."

He jerked back when Gil was suddenly there, his bloody face hovering only inches away, hysterical eyes flickering inhumanly between him and Reborn. He grabbed Skull's shoulder, shaking him until he grimaced with the pain. The ghastly voice bled through the contact, reverberating under his skin and through his bones. "Do you know who that is, _do you_ , _DO YOU_? Do you have any idea how many ghosts are _insane_ after _The Reborn_ offed them? I'm dead, but he'll kill me _again_ , and I don't wanna die again!"

With a loud screech, the ghost spiraled away and vanished through the floorboards, leaving silence and Skull's racing heart in his wake.

Reborn smirked, slipping his gun back to his belt and tilting his hat up to reveal the glint inside his eyes. "The afterlife isn't so mundane, after all. Not bad, lackey."

 _What? What are you talking about?_ Skull wanted to ask, but Reborn had just stored his gun. He didn't want it drawn again. He knew Reborn was probably just amused that even the dead were afraid of him, anyway.

"Is that the only ghost around?" Verde asked, looking around the room with narrowed eyes as if squinting would improve his new sense of sight. Finding nothing, his gaze settled back on Oodako, his body shifting as if to approach.

Skull cradled the octopus protectively. He was most wary of Verde in this regard. The man was referred to as the second coming Da Vinci for a reason. Between all of them, he was probably the only one who could invent a machine to mess with the specters.

"Muu, he's right," Viper's wary quips drew Verde's attention away, thankfully. Viper was the one staring at Skull, now. "You said . . . no, you _implied_ that we were haunted by countless tortured souls earlier. Were you lying?"

"Not… really," Skull answered just as warily. He had to be careful, or else, everyone's wrath would be directed at him again. "I warded the building so only those I invited in like Oodako-and… well, the ones who died here, too, I guess-can enter. Some of you did have a few spirits tagging you, but they're usually harmless. It's Halloween, though, so just be careful when you go outside. The vengeful ones might come, especially if they know you can see them now."

Drawing his attention to the other occupants of his home, Skull couldn't help but wonder what Daniela was whispering about to the CEDEF head and Lal over in that corner. Whatever it was, Iemitsu looked positively freaked out.

Some small, nurturing sadism - it was no wonder where that side of him came from - in him was pleased. He squashed the feeling down immediately lest he ever acts like the bane of his existence, Reborn, with a slightly terrified shudder.

That would be _awful._

Skull gasped in outrage as a hand invaded his personal space, phasing straight through Oodako, the octopus glaring heavily at the offender and causing the Cloud to smother him protectively. "Don't come near him!" He took five steps back - all he could in the small space - for extra measure, a scowl firmly twisting his lips into something they often didn't truly see on him. _Anger._

Verde simply looked more intrigued, gazing at his own appendage as if it could solve all the mysteries in the universe before his eyes shifted to Skull suspiciously and everyone curiously tried to connect whatever dots the scientist had, as well. "Why can you touch them?"

Skull froze, arms loosening around the precious animal in his hold unintentionally. Hesitantly, he stuttered out, "I… uh- it's really difficult to explain?"

"Oh?"

The look in their eyes - all inquiring and demanding of answers - made Skull frown warily as Reborn drew back his curtains to allow more light in.

The next few seconds would forever be burned into the Clouds mind as one of the greatest things that have ever happened to him in his life. _Reborn startled._

The spirits at the window, gnarled and twisted as they were, looked incongruous compared to the peaceful scenery glimpsed through the cracks beyond them. They banged against the windows silently, sound not reaching ears due to the wards etched around the property as some pressed decaying faces against the glass to peek inside.

Skull nonchalantly skipped to the window, took the curtains out of the stunned Sun's hand as he ignored the exclamations of all those in the room, and shut them. "They really ruin the scenery, don't they?"

Luce's hand, previously pressed over her rapidly beating heart, moved to wearily run through her bangs. She looked as if she had much to say but the exhaustion wearing her down was more of a concern than any potential questions she had.

Skull purposefully brushed against her, gently propagating her flames into an acceptable quantity - it was all he could offer after the toll of the ritual - as he maneuvered through the crowded room to get to the kitchen. "I'll get refreshments. Don't touch anything that looks odd. Please, don't even _look_ at anything that seems odd, okay?"

A figure following him into the kitchen made him nearly groan in disdain. He refrained from doing such a thing, however, because the consequence of such thing in Reborn's presence of all people just wasn't worth it.

He was _tired._

Instead, he fished out the coffee he knew the hitman would want - hidden within the darkest corners of his cabinets to avoid seeing it as a constant reminder - and an assortment of teas that would help the rest with the after-effects of the spell.

Going through the motions of preparing everything, he asked, "Is there anything you needed?"

Oodako looked uneasily at the other person in the kitchen and soon settled on a staring contest with Leon after the Octopus perched himself haphazardly on the edge of the counter as both humans simply ignored the fact the place was strangely silent and for the _World's Best_ , the others were atrocious at eavesdropping.

Honestly, Skull would have expected at least Fon to have some integrity.

That was fine, however. Reborn didn't mind a spectacle. Rather, he thrived on the chaos they caused.

"Why can you touch them. No… more importantly, why can they touch you?" An inquisitive eyebrow was raised to accompany the question that he had repeated from Verde's earlier questionnaire, a silent promise in the air that he was not going to get away without an answer and wouldn't like the results of any attempt to do so.

Skull fiddled with the stove anxiously before he merely sighed and turned to face Reborn warily. He stared at his tie, unable to bring his eyes up to the intensive gaze he was positive was analyzing him. Deciding to answer, Skull swallowed dryly and tugged the sleeve of his shirt over his shoulder down, exposing pale flesh and a hint of the vibrant purple tattoo that marked him as the Cloud Arcobaleno.

His cursed tattoo was always something fascinating to look at. It was much larger than many of theirs, expanding the entirety of his back in unstructured swirls that acting like fleeing Mist. The perfect depiction of constrained clouds that perfectly hid a series of scars that trailed down the base of his neck and majority of his shoulder.

When he turned, Reborn could barely make out the silvery and puckered flesh that was under the Arcobaleno curse.

Still, his eyes narrowed sharply at the colors his eyes shortly adjusted to that weren't previously there. Buried underneath the familiar Cloud flames, an unknown energy - dark, twisted, black, and feeling like the _Vindice_ \- flickered on and off, trailing like veins throughout Skulls entire body but focused on the marks that were hidden even further down his shirt.

Fon sucked in a breath sharply, peering through the door. "Skull… what is that?"

The Cloud looked perplexed by the worry but merely laughed it nervously off. "It's a curse. It's why I can do what I can."

"A curse?" Verde almost spat the word, as if it left a bad taste inside his mouth. He shoved past Fon, unable to restrain the desire to poke and prod at the newest discovery. "That's not a curse, it's a _flame_. Don't think we haven't heard the rumors. The Vindice has energy that feels almost like yours. It's called the Night."

Skull wanted to laugh. He's too far beyond feeling insulted from the denial, now. Did Verde's refusal to believe stem from his scientific mind-despite all the proof of the supernatural existences right in front of him- or was it because Skull was the one who made that claim?

He braced himself for Verde's invasive inspection, ready to just bear through with it so the man would be satisfied and leave him alone for a while. But when a hand landed on his shoulder, Skull just _knew_ , despite not looking backward, that it wasn't Verde who was gripping him tightly.

He almost dropped the cup he held. The ceramic slipped enough in his hand that tea splashes over the rim and splatters into a puddle on the counter. Skull muffled an expletive behind his teeth. He snatched up a towel to daub the mess before they drip down to the floor, ignoring the biting heat that also seeped onto his fingers from the freshly brewed tea.

To be honest, he was actually a bit grateful for the distraction, because he wouldn't be able to stay still either way-not when he could sense Reborn's eyes peering closely at the edges of his tattoo, lingering at the collar of his shirt which prevented him from seeing more into the 'mystery'.

" _Explanation_ , lackey?" Reborn growled low behind his ear. The vibration was enough to make Skull shiver, even though the air was warm around the stove.

"I- I don't know!" he blurted out honestly, trying and failing to pull himself away from there. "I was just a kid when it happened. I thought . . . I thought I saw an . . . an angel. I _know_ it's ridiculous, but the creature had wings and everyone looked unusual enough in the circus where I lived and usually, nothing bad happened with the occult, so I couldn't tell that it had bad intentions-"

He was rambling. Reborn asked him to explain, but he started to ramble instead. That was bad.

Taking a deep breath, Skull forced himself to calm down. He had to recall that night with detachment. He refused to be drawn into a flashback of his own making again.

He gave it another try.

"The demon that I met asked for my help, that day. It asked if it could borrow my body for a bit. I didn't see why not, back then. But by saying yes, I inadvertently gave him permission to possess my body."

His fists curled over the countertop, tiny little shakes ran beneath his skin and made his fingers itched. Oodako swayed at him from his peripheral, but he ignored the query, for once. He continued, keeping his emotions as flat as his voice.

"I really didn't know what happened. I was out for the most of it."

- _He lost control of his body. It was too scary, too disorienting. His subconsciousness chose to hide. That was a mistake he could never take back_ -

"Maybe we weren't compatible, or maybe it failed whatever it set out to do, but when I came to . . ."

- _Bloodbath. Every last one of his family-_

"I have the scars and the cursed energy on me. I could see and touch the dead since then. The curse _reacted_ around them, so I know that's the cause for it."

Already sick of the talk, Skull picked up the only cup of coffee from the array of beverages and made Reborn take it. This way, the restraining hand would finally release him. He lifted the rest of the assortment with the ease of a juggler, handing them one by one to his guest in only a couple trips.

Not everyone got a cup, of course. He lived alone. He didn't have that much cups here. Fon and Verde had to settle with a small bowl each, Daniela and Timoteo got fancy looking glasses that Skull only ever took out for important looking clients, and Luce . . . for Luce, he gave her his one and only mug in the whole house. It also contained the most aplenty and the warmest tea of them all.

"Skull? Are you okay? You've been staring at the tea for some time." Luce's gentle concern drifted and wrapped around him. Her sky flame hummed, comforting even in its state of recovery, The feeling of harmony thawed the stillness in his heart, easing his past away like memories in the breeze.

He smiled at her, small but genuine. "Yeah, Luce. I think I'm actually okay."

* * *

 ** _Help Ely grow by giving her nutritious reviews! (Pfft, seriously though, we love your thoughts on the story and reviews make us inexplicably happy and motivated!) Anyways! We hope you all enjoyed this surprisingly lengthy chapter!_**

 ** _\- LittleSkyCompass and_** ** _Shi Natoka-chan . Nah_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Rated T: For Reborn, as always. He's a hazard, you guys._**

 ** _Co-writer: The one and only, Shi Natoka-chan . Nah (She is fantastic, go stalk her.)_**

 ** _Thank you all so much for your support so far! HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!_**

* * *

 _Drops of blood, thick and murky brown under the dimming light of the sky, dripped onto soft grass in a cadence of death; a symphony of slaughter. Entrails strung over off-white tents, fingers gripping into dirt with an immense desperation-_

Skull choked on his dinner as it tried to make a reappearance, nails cracking under the strain of digging them into the rim of his sink as he tried to silently catch his breath under the noise the running water provided him. He splashed his face with the icy water, letting it scrub away his cracked makeup and relieve the puffiness of his eyes.

His fingers shook - from the memories or cold temperature, he wasn't certain - as he took his towel and carefully dried off. The chilling water had left his nose a touch redder than it would be normally, and Oodako prodded at it curiously from inside the sink where he was playing in the little water that had remained at the bottom and created a shallow pool. The sea creature always provided a welcoming distraction, and the Cloud couldn't help but be eternally grateful for his little friend.

He changed swiftly into an oversized shirt and comfortable sweatpants to sleep in, even though it would be quite some time before he allowed himself to rest. He hadn't let the rest of the Arcobaleno leave after the Vongola group has already gone with a promise to arrange transportation to Japan to start their investigations, instead imploring them to stay until they had means of defense against the nastier of the unnatural who would now take notice of their new abilities.

With that in mind, he scooped the Octopus gently into his arms and cuddled him before he braved his invaded home once more. Oodako let out some pleased sounds, latching onto him happily as Cloud flames hummed pleasantly in response to the positive affection.

Skull dodged the people in his tiny place with the ease of a seasoned acrobat, reaching the shelf he wanted to get to and grabbing his whittling tools and blocks of wood meant specifically for making warding tokens. Though, instead, he'd be making accessories that the rest could keep on their person. Hopefully, that would be enough to keep them under the radar and still enough to deter the brave ones who would target them, as well.

Seeing no space to work in, and his bedroom already hosting a conversation amongst two others, he plopped down on the floor where he stood and set Oodako on his head to cling. Crossing his legs, he began his work of chiseling away at wood, embedding in it its deterring effects as he stuck his tongue out in concentration. Oodako squirmed happily on his head, peering over to observe closely and brushing bangs into Skull's eyes as a direct result.

He made sure his intent included that of those who meant no harm would not be harmed in return, mainly so Oodako remained safe as the wood in his grasp accepted his conditions.

He didn't break his concentration even as Luce set a cup of tea beside him and left him alone. Sweat clung to his brow, and he'd have to take a shower soon to help with the exhaustion due to all the energy he had expended today, but the fast results were a testament to his skill and already held promising results.

He'd chisel, etch, and repeat. Chisel, wood, etch carvings and repeat the process again and again.

When all was said and done, he moved onto the next step, tearing through the skin of his thumb with a sharp canine to let blood gather at the cut so he could smear it over the accessories. He ignored how his stomach turned at the sight, mind still fresh with memories he could only recall in fragments.

He pulled himself back to the present, watching as the blood seeped and spread evenly through the tokens. They turned darker, each one shimmering with unnatural, yet faded glows. It was the sign that his sacrifice was accepted and he could move onto the next part.

As the blood that coated his finger was engulfed in purple fire, he stuck it in his mouth out of pure habit to relive the temporary sting he felt only to stop when he remembered his Cloud flames had already completed the healing.

He blushed sheepishly, glancing around the room to see if anyone caught that momentary lapse of judgment. No one was _looking_ at him, but considering who was around him, that didn't mean anything. He may as well admit to the fact that he was being watched by all of them constantly with no inconsistencies but much discretion on their part.

He picked up the mug - Luce, of course, took it upon herself to help and wash the dishes - that sat near him, too tired to care that the tea in it had gone cold as he sipped it idly. He felt depleted after so many of the revelations he'd gone through in less than twenty-four hours and wanted nothing more than to curl up with Oodako and sleep for days.

The octopus himself was already contently resting on a familiar perch of purple hair, causing it to look chaotically disheveled. Not being able to contain a smile at the behavior, Skull carefully gathered his work in his arms and rose slowly off the floor without dislodging the sea creature in order to hand out the tokens to their new owners.

He had one last thing to do before he could allow himself the peace of his bed.

Once he gathered everyone around him and distributed the items, he gave them all one simple instruction to complete their protection. "You'll have to give it a bit of your blood, and then you must remember to wear it on your person at all times or it _won't_ work, okay?"

"At all times?" Fon flipped it between his fingers slowly, observing its curve and edges like reading a scripture written in an unknown language.

Skull could kind of guess what he was thinking about, because he wondered about it, too, before. "Yes, at all times. I don't care whether it's to missions, to sleep, or to the bath. Wear it unless you'd like to get fatally jump scared by a vengeful spirit."

Fortunately, they were willing to concede to his _expertise_ on this matter. One by one, they made a cut on their skin and let several drops of blood to be absorbed by the coins. Reborn was the only one who could heal the tiny wound immediately, but nobody was bothered enough by them to ask for his assistance.

After the contracts were completed, they should be done. Skull should send them home, now . . . but, then, why was he hesitating? He imagined them trickling out the door one by one until there is nobody else in the office but him and Oodako.

It should be a relief, but instead, he felt a pang inside his chest. He had started to miss them, even though they were still right here. The lack of sleep must've got to him.

He cleared his throat and pushed the feeling aside. "Guys, it's late. Like, super late. We're good here, right? We can call it a night, now."

"You're right," Viper agreed as they cloaked their token with an illusion, hiding it from sight. "Just tell me where to sleep. I don't mind taking the sofa."

Skull stared at them blankly for a few seconds. "Huh? Wait, what?! You're staying here?!"

"Muu, you're more insane than I thought if you'd think I waste money on a hotel when you've got plenty of rooms right here." Viper had no qualm insulting him despite the fact that they wanted to freeload inside his home.

"You're right," Verde agreed, fixing his glasses calmly as if bugging Skull was a normal, daily occurrence. "I can't trust any establishment with my equipment, either. This place will have to do."

"Viper, Verde, I don't think we should cause more trouble for Skull. He looks really tired," Luce, the angel, tried to save him. "I don't mind paying for your hotels and taking care of your luggage."

Reborn growled from the sofa he sat on, a quiet grunt of " _Luce_ " that held the promise of an incoming violence.

Even though his ire was directed at Verde and Viper, Skull knew he wouldn't be spare either once Reborn was riled up. That was why he needed to cut the fuse before it blows.

"WAIT! Luce, I don't mind, really!" He spoke up, almost a little too loud. "I mean, it'd be great to have company and all, other than ghosts . . ."

He was lying, of course, but maybe, just maybe, he was lying a little less than usual.

"Please stay here, too?" he implored to her, this time fully genuine. She was the only one who ever bothers to think about his farewell over her own, and he also didn't want to send her across the town when her health was at risk. "You can even take the bed."

"Skull, I can't possibly-"

" _Take the offer, Luce_ ," Reborn's interruption sounded like a threat. His eyes were dark when they turned to Skull, daring him to disagree. "They lackey stays here while I study the case."

Honestly, Reborn probably didn't even need to know anything more about the case, but for the sake of their Sky, Skull was willing to play along. He mechanically walked to the sofa and plopped down on it. He hoped it wasn't too obvious that he was trying his best to stay at the opposite end from Reborn.

His grin to her was slightly strained, but hopefully, she wouldn't notice.

Maybe she did, though, because she gave both him and Reborn this _look_ , silently scolding them for worrying about her too much.

"If we're going to stay here," Fon joined in the conversation, "I'll go pick up what we need for the trip to save time. And take care of some… unfinished business." His eyes darted away as he said that, an unconscious gesture he often exhibits whenever he alludes about the triad.

"I'll come with you, Fon." Lal, who had been occupied by the Iemitsu and Timoteo split up from them almost without warning. "I need to check our prep so no one will get stuck by airport security again."

Colonello started up from the light doze he'd been lulled into. "Buh-wha? Me, too, kora! I'll go with you, Lal! It's boring here!"

"Colonello…" Lal didn't look pleased. "Stalking me won't put you in good favor."

"Who's stalking you, kora?!" Now, even Colonello was riled up, defending himself loudly even though there was a clear blush on his cheekbones.

The noises flowed into Skull's head. It was strange. They made his head pounds, but it was also calming, to know that he wouldn't be alone in this.

As he watched his friends bicker or settling down, another yawn came and reminded him how tired he actually was. Now that the adrenaline had left him alone, it was getting very hard to resist the call of sleep.

Skull wanted to stay awake, to watch over his home a little longer. The prickling chill from Oodako in his arms helped, but not by much. As he listened to Reborn talking with Daniela, his eyes fluttered closed and the world slowly blurred away.

 _The melody from the fallen music box sounded like children's laughter. It was loud, inside the tent. He had done a good job again, so everyone was cheering. Their eyes, wide, big and colorful were beautiful, right before he wrapped his arms around them and turned them red from his love._

 _He was on top of the world. He wanted to stay like this forever. So why, oh why, did the child inside him keep wailing? Something so puny shouldn't even be allowed to exist, much less to be the vessel of such a pure_ _ **energy**_.

 _As he reached in to shut the child up, something golden and something warm shimmered like a stray beam from the sun. It touched him and he_ burnt _. His darkness shrunk back, shying away from light._

The frown on Skull's face melted away, replaced by a tiny smile as his flame hummed comfortably.

He slept undisturbed until the sun rose once more.

By the time he woke, the dream was but a long gone memory. Reborn kicked him off the sofa and ordered him to get moving before the plane took off without them, and the thought faded completely from his mind.

There was the dead to contend with and the livings to protect. They were heading to Japan, where Skull had a lot more to worry about rather than the curse from his past.

Skull gave everyone in his humble home a blinding grin - sincere and brilliant in its shine - before he scampered off to get ready, leaving the others in a befuddled state.

Most people aren't happy when Reborn kicks them awake off a sofa, but Skull? He wasn't focused on that. He made a promise to himself, after all. Protect the living and contend with the dead. That living category, of course, included all those present in his house and now that he had dragged them into the very chaos he was raised into, he would be sure to make certain every last one of them was going to be fine under his watch.

"Hurry up, kora!"

"-eh? Coming, senpai!"

Out the door and to the airport, Skull decided the only thing that could kill his rather good mood was- _crowds._

He sucked in a sharp breath, plastering on a confident grin as the other Arcobaleno hesitated to step through the threshold of the door they had to bypass to get to the private jet. The circus was different and Skull typically thrived with crowds in controlled environments but this month was October and suitcases weren't the only _baggage_ clinging to the passages that clogged the airport.

"... ignore them." His voice is carefully steady, and looking at the confounded - but the emotion skillfully is hidden - Arcobaleno, he remembered why exactly he preferred to stay holed in his apartment/office all of this month and generally avoided places like this anyways.

A head whipped towards the direction of his voice and one of the closest apparitions suddenly realizes with great amusement that Skull could see them. It cackled, disembodied voice traveling towards them and ringing their ears as the Cloud immediately and nonchalantly walked in between it and the rest of them before it realized he wasn't the only one who could see.

" _Ignore them."_

He felt the need to repeat the severity a second time, not moving an inch as it began to ominously slide closer to him with maniac cackles. The child it detached itself from seemed to slump over in relief, almost as if the child had trouble breathing beforehand and with a jolt, Skull realized what exactly this entity was, catching glimpses of a person past the black taint that surrounded it.

He scowled and sent a pity filled glance towards the small child, a girl no more than twelve, as she finally seemed to have the courage to venture further off now that her mother's debilitating spirit wasn't there to burden her.

As the spirit got closer and Oodako perched on his shoulders got as defensive as the people behind him, Skull merely stuck a hand into his coat pocket and pulled out engraved stone. Waving it in front of the ghost tauntingly as more took notice of him, he placed it on top of the trashcan to his right before he bit into his thumb and smeared his blood onto it.

Turning back, he watched emotionlessly as all the malicious unnatural things in their presence shrieked and burned _and_ no one but those who could see were none the wiser. Only those with good intentions, unable to move on remained, and Skull couldn't help but soften as a few sent him grateful glances.

Because of him, they wouldn't be consumed just yet. Unfortunately, he had no time to help them all.

"Skull."

He blinked questionably at his name, tilting his head back to gaze at a worried Fon who hovered beside him. "Yes?"

"Lackey, what was _that?"_

A frown twitched the Cloud's lips downward. "An abusive mother, haunting her previously abused child." Seeing their confused looks, he continued. "It should be fine now. The stone I set down kicked anything with malicious intent out of here, and they won't be able to come back until it's moved. The radius for this particular ward is rather strong… but, it's not anchored and just moves with the rock until it eventually fades."

He paused, a contemplative look taking over his features. "The wards I made for you are similar but last far longer and can withstand much more damage. You just need to keep them on your person." He gave them all a stern glare after a moment. "They… are on your person, right?"

Affirmative nods, even if reluctant, answered his question and he slumped in relief.

"Muu, how much for those stones?" Viper asked with an interested mumble. "They seem worthy to invest in."

Oodako flailed around for a moment as all the color drained itself from Skull's face. "No! Absolutely not! I make them myself and if anyone uses them wrong they could harm Oodako and other innocents!"

People passing by gave them odd looks but Skull ignored them in favor of snuggling the small octopus in his arms until he was content that he was safe.

Viper, if anything, looked dejected that they couldn't invest in the warding stones.

"Muu, I will give you-"

"No! I don't accept!"

Skull vehemently objected to agree the entire flight to Japan and proceeded to eventually give the Mist the cold shoulder as they inquired on how _exactly_ Skull makes everything he does. Verde was rather inevitably included into that list when he jumped in with eagerness written all over his features.

"Give up while you're still redeemable, kora." Colonello yawned out as they followed Lal's instructions that directed them to where the CEDEF head made his home. The other two, much to everyone's relief, finally left the poor Cloud alone.

Namimori Japan… was rather quaint but seeing as Skull was on edge and it had nothing to do with the two elements pestering him, they couldn't quite feel at ease as they made their way determinedly to their clients' location.

The resident housing the last viable heir for Vongola was a very normal home, - perfect and ordinary, under the radar but not lacking in any comforts for those in it - but Luce still felt uncomfortable as she knocked carefully on the door.

Skull had since frozen, occasionally shivering as he paled, almost as if he had realized something terrible.

The other Arcobaleno reacted accordingly and prepared for anything to happen when the door opened.

Instead, the small pitter patter of feet reached their ears, and they heard a small cry as a child tripped before the door was opened swiftly by the one person they were there to see.

Sawada Tsunayoshi, the Vongola heir and son of Iemitsu, stared at them in wonder - fright was also prevalent, but his eyes were more inquiring than scared meaning he didn't suspect foul play - fidgeting in a way that made him look his age.

With a gasp, Skull realized his feeling was correct as he took in the agonizing cries he felt as soon as they came into the vicinity of the house.

" _Iemitsu sealed a seven-year-old Sky?!"_

Feeling exactly how old the seal was, and how debilitating it was, Skull momentarily gave into his rage.

It was embarrassing how easily a kid in need affected Skull.

* * *

 ** _Help Ely grow by giving her nutritious reviews! Also~ everyone have a wonderful month of November!_**

 ** _\- LittleSkyCompass and_** ** _Shi Natoka-chan . Nah_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Rated T: For Reborn, as always. He's a hazard, you guys._**

 ** _Co-writer: The one and only, Shi Natoka-chan . Nah (She is fantastic, go stalk her and admire her and love her as much I do, okay!)_**

 ** _Beta-reader: My lovely little sis_** _ **ShinyKyu**_ **_is now on team Ely, helping us raise this fantastic child to its full potential. When I have time I will re-upload previous chapters that have finally been edited!_**

 ** _THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS AND LOVE, GUYS! You kill me~ And because I've been busy and have delayed posted because of that, I will post a new chapter EVERY SINGLE DAY until we are caught up on our weekly schedule! Happy reading, everyone!_**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

" _Iemitsu sealed a seven-year-old Sky?!"_

The man who was at the end of Skull's rage only flinched a little, defending himself weakly with "It's for his own good," but little Tsunayoshi recoiled like Skull's exclamation was a slap to the face. His eyes stared at him in fear, glistening with incoming tears. He looked ready for something bad to happen.

Skull immediately felt immense guilt for scaring him. He momentarily ignored Iemitsu in favor of kneeling down to comfort Tsuna, reaching out to hug him and pet his hair the way he sometimes comforted lost children who hadn't realized that they were already dead.

"Shhh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. Please don't cry, everything's fine," he gently murmured, even though he was lying. Skull had touched a lot of dead souls, and that was what Tsunayoshi felt like. All living things had Flames. They weren't always active, but it was a sign that they were alive. Even as weak as Luce's was, she still had enough flames to retain her presence. What Iemitsu did to his son could accidentally kill the boy. Did he even know how lucky he was?

But Tsuna was calming down. Skull could take that for now.

A tiny hand tugged his shirt until he looked down to meet Tsuna's warm eyes, now only slightly too bright from former tears. "You're not angry?" he asked, voice wobbling a little in leftover worry.

"Of course not!" Skull kept his voice even and cheerful. He was even tempted to do a couple of tricks to further improve Tsuna's mood, but Tsuna continued speaking, now that he had dared to.

"Are you Mama's guest? You can't come in if you're not. She said I shouldn't let strangers in because they can be bad guys."

Before Skull could answer, he was nearly bowled over when Iemitsu managed to gather himself enough under the Arcobaleno's glare and shoved Skull aside to get to his son. His grin at Tsuna was blinding in all the wrong way.

"Tuna-Fish, Papa's home. These mean people are my guests so there is nothing to worry about," he said, finishing the greetings by laughing boisterously and trying to pat Tsuna on the back.

But Tsuna darted away from his hand, running behind Skull and clutching onto him, who was the only familiar one in his eyes. He peeked out at Iemitsu with a mix of fear and anger. "You're not my papa. My friends said I have no papa."

 _Oof, that must've burned._

Skull could laugh at the look in Iemitsu's face. Served him right.

"But I'm your papa!" Iemitsu refused to accept the fact that he had been forgotten. He rolled up his sleeves and said, "Who are these friends of yours? Let me teach them a lesson or two," so seriously, he made Skull kind of worried that he might not be kidding at all.

Tsuna apparently took him seriously too, because he shrank even further behind Skull, refusing to answer the question.

"Honestly, you are terrible with children!" Daniela, who had raised a son and helped with raising four more kids, glared at Iemitsu, purposely stepping between the two of them as a physical barrier. She didn't kneel down like Skull, but she did bend down with a gentle smile, ignoring Iemitsu's persistent wail to speak with Tsuna. "Hey, there. You're Tsuna-chan, right? Don't be afraid, just ignore that fool. We're here to help you. So, where is your mama?"

"She is going to the market for food and ice cream for a _discount_!" Tsuna actually leaned towards Daniela, as if her sky flame, distorted as it was by death, was still enough to sway him. It was almost horrifying how vulnerable he was, being far too corruptible from the seal. It was very lucky that Daniela was summoned for good reason, and that Tsuna lived in a town of people who didn't know about the power of Flames. Otherwise… Skull wanted to just hug him and never let go. Oodako shifted in agreement on his shoulder, moving carefully so that he wouldn't accidentally touch Tsuna and hurt him.

"May we wait for her to come home?" Daniela's voice was slightly saturated with her power, implanting a suggestion into Tsuna's answer. Skull didn't like that, but he could only gulp when her focus turned towards him, the full force of the words washing over him like a threat. "I'm sure DeMort won't mind playing with you while my son and I keep your home safe."

She was offering… no, _demanding_ that he stay still while she put up the barricading enchantment around the house. There was no reason for her to keep him out of the way if she wasn't planning something. But it wasn't like Skull could refuse her either. Still, he really, really hoped that she wouldn't use Tsuna as bait to fulfill her own goal.

"Y-yeah! Of course I'll play with you, Tsuna! I'm amazing at games!" He grinned to hide his worry. He'd just have to watch what Daniela and Timoteo would do in secret.

"I… Mama said…" Tsuna scrunched up his nose as he thought of his next words, looking like, for all parts, a disgruntled bunny. When he glanced back to Skull with hesitation and looked once more at Daniela, he pouted, bottom lip quivering and eyes shining with tears. "Promise you're not bad? Mama said no strangers, only guests! I don't want to upset Mama."

Skull took his cue, one of the best at dealing with kids and gave the boy a disarming smile— it was easy, Tsuna was adorable— and he was just thankful someone shut up the ranting of the CEDEF head because he was nearly tempted to do it himself. "I promise I have only the best of intentions."

This should have been enough for most kids, but Tsuna's eyes narrowed at his wording, taking in the multitude of people around him. "Only you?"

 _Sharp._

Skull blinked in surprise but hid his shock as he ruffled the boys untamed mane of hair. Was the kid naturally distrusting or… was it a conditioned mindset? "They may seem really scary, but they won't hurt you. Promise."

It was odd, Skull decided, as a smaller pinky wrapped around his own, that even though Tsuna's soul felt broken— _dead—_ the contact he felt as their skin touched wasn't cold at all. It was warm, smooth skin, and above all, _physically present_. It relieved him that there was hope— that he wasn't facing another broken child who didn't know why they were dead or that they had died; who thought the people walking by them were _ignoring_ them and would be in fits of hysteria when he came upon them.

Tsuna was different. He was _there._ Alive. It didn't stop the discomfort of hearing his soul cry out in despair. They needed to fix that.

 _Now._

The boy's body was absolutely defenseless.

"Iemitsu." The Italian rolled fluently off his tongue as he rounded on his heels to address the man being subdued by none other than Reborn. "Are you aware that sealing his flames has left him a near uninhabited body? Do you know how _easy_ it would be for anything to possess him? Nothing has to ask for permission when his body is all but an empty vessel!"

"What?! My Tuna-Fish—"

"I'm not done," the Cloud callously interrupted. "I need to know the exact nature of this seal, and I need to work on taking it off because no protection I can offer will help as well as one anchored to a person's Flames. Which he has had _sealed_ due to your negligence, apparently _._ I'm surprised he isn't dead— because, quite frankly, if I didn't know he was alive in the first place, I would have mistaken him for a ghost."

The shocked silence that followed the statement made Skull shake his head in dismay as he returned to Japanese, keeping his voice soft as he got Tsunayoshi to let them into the house. When it worked, it was Luce who began to dote over the boy, coercing the location of his toys out of him so that she could also spend time with the cute child, claiming that it had been far too long since she experienced such bonding with her darling Aria.

The other Arcobaleno could only sigh helplessly as they were dragged into the games the Cloud and Sky were conducting for their current charge. Skull, of course, took this opportunity to gleefully remind them all it would be unseemly to bully him in the presence of such an impressionable soul, even as he tried to glean what the Vongola Ninth and Daniela were up to.

He didn't like not knowing; and he especially didn't like the sinking feeling in his gut as he was forced to count back from ten, having been told that he was 'it' for hide-and-seek by the rather enthusiastic Tsuna. His eyes narrowed as his lips parted one last time to announce the fact that he was ready, but instead of searching out the people dragged into hiding, he sought out the flames of the two people on his mind, subtly making his way towards them under the guise of looking for everyone.

When he approached, he steeled his nerves.

He idly questioned when he'd become so daring as to try such a thing as to eavesdrop.

Still, he relaxed his body and kept his breaths even and quiet as he manipulated his Flames inward so he wouldn't be sensed, leaning against a wall just outside of their field of vision as he stretched the capabilities of his hearing. The soft muttering was hard to decipher, so Skull began to trail closer.

* * *

 _ **Continue to help Ely grow by giving us that wonderful thing only you readers can do! Feedback~! See you guys tomorrow when I upload another chapter! Hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **\- LittleSkyCompass and Shi Natoka-chan . Nah**_


End file.
